Pan American Health Organization Passes Resolution to Interrupt Transmission of River Blindness in Latin America by 2012

ATLANTA…In an effort to eliminate river blindness (onchocerciasis) from the Western Hemisphere, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an urgent call to interrupt the disease's transmission by 2012.

"We have the knowledge and ability to eliminate river blindness from the Western Hemisphere," said former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, founder of The Carter Center. "To fail at this effort would be a great disservice to our neighbors and a missed opportunity to improve lives in some of the world's poorest communities."

River blindness is caused by the debilitating parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus and is spread by the bite of small black flies that breed in swiftly flowing rivers and streams. The infection occurs in only six countries: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Venezuela. Since 1996, The Carter Center, in partnership with the national programs, PAHO, Lions Clubs International, Merck & Co., Inc., the Mectizan® Donation Program, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been a leader in the fight against river blindness in the Americas — working through its Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA).

The 2008 PAHO resolution builds upon an older version from 1991 by calling for elimination once and for all, rather than the previous goal of ending all ocular disease from river blindness. PAHO is the American Regional office of the World Health Organization.

Endemic countries have made important headway against the disease since the original PAHO resolution through twice per year mass treatment programs with the oral medicine Mectizan® — donated by Merck. Only Brazil and Venezuela currently report active cases of eye infection. There have been no new cases of onchocerciasis-related blindness in the Americas for many years, and four of the 13 endemic foci (areas) in the Americas have interrupted transmission of the parasite and been taken off the mass treatment schedule.

Importantly, Colombia is the first country in the world to have stopped treatment distribution and has begun three years of post-treatment monitoring to watch for any sign of reemergence of the parasite. It is believed that river blindness was transplanted from Africa to the Americas more than 100 years ago with the slave trade. In contrast to Africa — where this devastating disease originated — the parasite's grip in this hemisphere is tenuous and only about 500,000 people in the region are at risk.

Elimination is not easy and depends upon a legion of dedicated public health workers who must travel to sometimes remote endemic areas twice a year to conduct health education and distribute Mectizan. Transmission interruption can be hastened with two or more mass distributions of Mectizan a year to greater than 85 percent of the population in an endemic area.

"It is vital we encourage the remaining five endemic countries to prioritize onchocerciasis (river blindness) treatment and prevention. With the reinforced political will generated by this new PAHO resolution, along with hard work and dedication, over the next few years it will be possible for a whole generation to grow up unhindered by vision damage or blindness from this disease, and without need of taking further Mectizan treatments," said Dr. Mauricio Sauerbrey, director of the Center's OEPA.

Dr. Sauerbrey also noted that stopping treatment is not the end of the story. For all partners involved with this effort, post-treatment monitoring should remain an essential part of the campaign until it becomes confirmed that permanent elimination of river blindness has been accomplished.

The Carter Center: A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in developing nations to increase crop production. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. Please visit www.cartercenter.org to learn more about The Carter Center.